


Graduation

by Miggy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-08-31
Updated: 2008-08-31
Packaged: 2017-10-27 09:56:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/294462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miggy/pseuds/Miggy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finally, Neville feels as if he's done things right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Graduation

**Author's Note:**

> I ran a poll asking which two characters would be involved in a short piece. Neville and Snape were the winners.

The cleaning charms were well cast, Neville noted as he walked up to the large, severe tombstone. Barely any color remained from the last round of graffiti. The words from the battle of Hogwarts hadn't had much time to filter out and counter earlier accusations. Desecration was still a daily event.

"Hello, Professor," he solemnly said to the words SEVERUS SNAPE.

"Longbottom," he could almost hear in reply. Even now it made him want to cringe in embarrassment.

The crest on the tombstone was beautifully carved. At first glance it was hard to see that the snake of the Slytherin crest had been replaced by its initial letter. Harry'd thought putting a snake on his tombstone would be really poor taste. But he'd wanted the crest.

"I thought you might like to know," Neville said after Snape's imagined voice had faded from his ears. "I went and looked at that big snake. Nagini. The one... I killed it. I suppose you wouldn't know that."

"Realizing that a dead man might not have followed the news after his last breath. You never fail to live down to my every expectation."

"But first, before that, I got a silver knife." He scuffed his foot against the dirt. "I had to get it from Professor Slughorn's office. Didn't think to ask, in all the noise and everything."

"Do get on with it. I may not be getting any older, but you are managing to force an astonishing illusion regardless."

"And I got the snake's head and cut out its venom sacs."

No reply came. The voice had sounded so real that its absence made him tense. Now it felt like Snape was staring down at him, waiting for him to fumble through the words like always. Like he'd always failed at in seven years of classes.

"I'm not good when I start with your potions ingredients. I know that." Neville leaned down and brushed off a bit of dust that had settled into the curves of the crest. No need to wait for the cleaning charms to get to it. "But I thought about what I could do with plants. Live ones, not dried. I wound up getting some sap and a bit of pollen."

It felt like Snape was pacing around him, now, waiting for the inevitable failure. He always failed in the end. Even if things were looking good like this, it always blew up by the end.

"I was really careful with the venom sacs. Didn't even want to breathe when I cut into them. I wouldn't let anyone else in the room."

Done with his pacing, Snape stood and waited for him to continue. Something oddly like encouragement seemed to be in the air.

Neville took a deep, steadying breath before he said his next bit all in one gulp. "And Professors Slughorn and Sprout and Madame Pomfrey say it's about the best antivenin they've ever seen and they're going to work on duplicating it with different ingredients, since I used up most of the venom from Nagini."

Snape should say something, he thought distantly, but the imagined voice remained quiet.

"I just thought... I'm not bragging." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I just thought I'd tell you. That something good came out of it. It'll help people."

The last of the graffiti was gone.

"Right. Right, then." He nodded, scuffed the dirt once more with his heel, and turned to leave.

"Mister Longbottom."

Neville stopped and waited.

"...Well done."

A tiny, proud smile on his face, Neville Longbottom walked away.


End file.
